Fastener retainer

ABSTRACT

A fastener retainer for positioning open-socketed wrenches and the like upon a fastener. The retainer includes captive grooves extending across the width of the interior surface of a wrenchgripping member. Each groove retains for longitudinal movement between two slide-limit stops a bearing which protrudes from the open face of the groove inwardly from the interior surface of the wrench-gripping member. When a fastener is received axially from either side of the wrench-gripping member, the protruding bearings contact and move ahead of the fastener until forced against a slide-limit stop. The wrench is thereby held in position with a substantial portion of its socket depth in contact with the periphery of the fastener.

United States Patent 559,526; 81/1 19,90 93, 124.1, 185, 186,57.39,125,582, 121 R, 121 A, 121 B, 57.3,58,59.1, 60, 61

Primary Examiner-James 1,. Jones, Jr. Attorney-Owen & Owen ABSTRACT: Afastener retainer for positioning opensocketed wrenches and the likeupon a fastener. The retainer includes captive grooves extending acrossthe width of the interior surface of a wrench-gripping member. Eachgroove retains for longitudinal movement between two slide-limit stops abearing which protrudes from the open face of the groove inwardly fromthe interior surface of the wrenchgripping member. When a fastener isreceived axially from either side of the wrench-gripping member, theprotruding bearings contact and move ahead of the fastener until forcedagainst a slide-limit stop. The wrench is thereby held in posi tion witha substantial portion of its socket depth in contact with the peripheryof the fastener.

PATENTED SEP 1 419m INVIiN'I'OR: DHHIE 5 JUHN A. .B

BY aa-way-w ATTYE.

Conventional open-socketed Wrenches, unlike closedsocketed varietieshaving one blind end, can easily slip axially out of position whenapplied to a fastener. It is for this reason that in power-drivenwrenches, or in hand-driven wrenches where limited access or high-torquerequirements are present, that a closed-socketed wrench has beenpreferred. In some applications, where, for example, the fastener mustbe guided along a shaft to form a coupling or where the driven elementis not located near either extremity of the fastener, it is impossibleto use a blind or closed socketed wrench.

Previous attempts to provide a simple and reliable fastener retainer forconventional crescent, box-end and other opensocketed wrenches are knownin the art. US. Pat. No.

1,550,436, for example, shows a retainer in a position contiguous with,and overlapping one side of the jaws of a conventional'open-socketedwrench. This has the disadvantage of pennitting the application fromonly one side of the wrenchgripping member to the fastener withoutremoving and replacing the retainer on the opposite face of the wrench.

US. Pat. No. 2,l97,283 shows opposed inwardly tapering jaws which, atthe axial midpoint of the gripping member,

create an opening smaller than the outer periphery of a fastener base.The tapered jaws thus retain the wrench in place when they abut the headof a fastener axially received by the gripping member. This constructionis fully reversible without any adjustment by the operator. However,since the tapered jaws receive the fastener only as far as aboutone-half of the socket depth of the gripping member, the wrench may slipoff a conventionally designed fastener and the wrench and fastener maybe unduly stressed in high-torque applications.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide afastener retainer for open-socketed wrenches and the like whichfacilitates the receipt of a fastener from either face of a wrench andwhich will receive the fastener substantially throughout the entiresocket depth of the gripping member.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof,reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a power-driven tubing wrenchgripping memberabout to be placed upon a fastener;

FIG. 2 is a partially fragmented, elevational view of a tubingwrench-grippingmember about to be placed upon a fastener and includingthe retainer of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a power-driven tubing wrenchgripping member inposition over the head of a fastener;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 of atubing wrench-gripping member in place over a fastener;

FIG. 5 is a fragmented, elevational view of the interior surface of atubing wrench-gripping member showing the retainer detent in detail; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a hand-operated wrench embodying the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a wrench-gripping member 10 embodying theinvention is surrounded by a housing 11 with means for rotating themember 10 and defining an interior such as are disclosed in my copendingapplication Ser. No. 724,408 filed Apr. 9, I968 now US. Pat. No.3,535,960 granted Oct. 27, I970. The inner faces 12 of the member 10define the wrench socket, in this case, designed for a hexagonal nut. Ascan best be seen in FIGS. 2-5, captive grooves 13 are located across theaxial width (line a-a'in FIG. 5) of the gripping member 10.

Each captive groove 13 retains a detent or bearing 14 for movement alongthe length of said groove 13 between two slide-limit stops 15 spaced oneither side of said bearing 14. In the preferred embodiment of theinvention,- the groove 13 extends substantially across the axial width(line a-a' of FIG. 5) of the gripping member 10 and the slide-limitstops 1'5 are located at both extremities of each of said grooves 13.

The captive groove 13 has an open face 16, the chord of which is lessthan the diameter of the bearing I4. The bearing 14 is thereby slidablyretained in the groove 13 while a segment of said bearing 14 protrudesinwardly from the open face 16 and thus beyond the inner surface of thegripping member 10. It is to be understood that this invention is notlimited to bearings but is intended to include any other fastenerretainer having a slidable protruding member located in a captivegroove.

In operation, the gripping member 10 is placed in relationship above afastener 17 and moved axially over said fastener 17 which contacts theprotruding segment of the bearing 14. The bearing 14 is then moved aheadof the fastener 17 along its groove 13 until it is forced against theslide-limit stop 15. The gripping member 10 is thereby retained in placewith a substantial portion of its axial width (line a-a of FIG. 5) incontact with the periphery of the fastener 17. It can be seen that,regardless of which side of the gripping member 10 is brought intoinitial contact with the fastener 17, the gripping member 10 willreceive a substantial portion of said fastener 17 before being axiallyretained in place by the protruding bearings. 1..

Thus, the retainer of this invention enables the wrench to be installedfrom either side and to receive the fastener to a proper depth forhigh-torque applications and insures against slipping axially off thenut.

FIG. 6 shows a hand wrench of conventional nature having a singlefastener retainer in accordance with this invention.

Modifications to the above-described embodiments will be apparent tothose skilled in the art and can be made without departing from thescope of the invention defined in the accompanying claims.

Iclaim:

l. A fastener retainer comprising a gripping member with an openingdefined by a geometrical inner surface complementary to the periphery ofa fastener whereby said fastener may be axially received by saidgripping member, at least one open groove having spaced-apartslide-limit stops and extending axially across said inner surface, aprotruding member slidably positioned in said groove and extendinginwardly therefrom and beyond said inner surface of said grippingmember.

2. A fastener retainer according to claim I wherein said groove extendssubstantially across the axial width of the inner surface of thegripping member.

3. A fastener retainer according to claim 1 whereinthe slide-limit stopsare positioned at or near the extremities of said groove.

4. An open-ended fastener retainer comprising a gripping member with anopening defined by a hexagonal inner surface complementary to theperiphery of a hexagonal fastener whereby said fastener may be axiallyreceived by said gripping member, two opposed captive grooves havingspaced-apart slide-limit stops and extending axially substantiallyacross said inner surface of said gripping member, a protruding ballbean ing slidably positioned in said grooves from extending inwardlytherefrom and beyond said inner surface of said hexagonal grippingmember.

5. A method of retaining a fastener within a gripping member having anopening defined by a geometrical inner surface complementary to theperiphery of a fastener whereby said fastener may be axially received bysaid gripping member, at least one open groove having spaced-apartslide-limit stops and extending axially across said inner surface, and aprotruding member slidably positioned in said groove and extendinginwardly therefrom and beyond said inner surface of said grippingmember, comprising the steps of placing the gripping member axially overthe periphery of a fastener, and causing said fastener to contact andslide said protruding member against a slide-limit stop at one end ofsaid groove to thereby retain the grippingmember in position on thefastener.

1. A fastener retainer comprising a gripping member with an openingdefined by a geometrical inner surface complementary to the periphery ofa fastener whereby said fastener may be axially received by saidgripping member, at least one open groove having spaced-apartslide-limit stops and extending axially across said inner surface, aprotruding member slidably positioned in said groove and extendinginwardly therefrom and beyond said inner surface of said grippingmember.
 2. A fastener retainer according to claim 1 wherein said grooveextends substantially across the axial width of the inner surface of thegripping member.
 3. A fastener retainer according to claim 1 wherein theslide-limit stops are positioned at or near the extremities of saidgrooVe.
 4. An open-ended fastener retainer comprising a gripping memberwith an opening defined by a hexagonal inner surface complementary tothe periphery of a hexagonal fastener whereby said fastener may beaxially received by said gripping member, two opposed captive grooveshaving spaced-apart slide-limit stops and extending axiallysubstantially across said inner surface of said gripping member, aprotruding ball bearing slidably positioned in said grooves fromextending inwardly therefrom and beyond said inner surface of saidhexagonal gripping member.
 5. A method of retaining a fastener within agripping member having an opening defined by a geometrical inner surfacecomplementary to the periphery of a fastener whereby said fastener maybe axially received by said gripping member, at least one open groovehaving spaced-apart slide-limit stops and extending axially across saidinner surface, and a protruding member slidably positioned in saidgroove and extending inwardly therefrom and beyond said inner surface ofsaid gripping member, comprising the steps of placing the grippingmember axially over the periphery of a fastener, and causing saidfastener to contact and slide said protruding member against aslide-limit stop at one end of said groove to thereby retain thegripping member in position on the fastener.